Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Grammy-Nominated Alum Shares Berklee Wisdom with His Student Sister

08/02/2025

Grammy-Nominated Alum Shares Berklee Wisdom with His Student Sister I thought graduating with a double major would be the key to success, Carlos Perez de Anda BM '14 tells his sister Andrea, but it was the relationships I built that truly opened doors.

By

Andrea Recalde

February 6, 2025

Carlos Perez de Anda BM '14

Image courtesy of the artist

Many of us at Berklee dream about turning our time here into a successful and fulfilling career in the music industry. Still, the path isn't always as glamorous as we imagine. As a current Berklee student, I have found myself wondering how to make the most of this experience and if many of the things I do here will benefit me in the future.

Luckily, I didnt have to look far for some real-world insight-my brother, Carlos Perez de Anda BM '14, graduated with a double major in music production and engineering (MP&E) and electronic production and design and has since built a successful career within the industry. While at Berklee, he won the MP&E/EPD Dual Major Award; since graduating, he has worked with artists such as Beyonc , Alicia Keys, and Shakira. He's got one Grammy nomination and two Latin Grammy nominations under his belt. Currently, Carlos works as the studio manager and chief engineer at Alacran Studios in Miami, Florida.

As his sister, I have seen him grow, struggle, and flourish into the person he is today. I recently had the opportunity to interview him, giving him the space to share his insights from the perspective of a successful former Berklee student.

In our conversation, Carlos discussed the realities of moving to Los Angeles right after graduation, the challenges of working with major labels, and why the best advice is never to work for free. He also stressed the importance of finding balance, staying true to yourself, and being patient in an industry that often feels like a race against time.

If you could return to your years at Berklee, what would you do differently? What advice would you give yourself?Id take it slower-theres no rush; thats the first thing Id say to myself. Im proud of graduating with a dual major in MP&E and EPD, but I wish I hadnt rushed through semesters or felt the need to graduate quickly. Id skip the condensed summer semesters, and I wouldnt change anything except my mindset from, I gotta graduate, to, Lets enjoy this.

How did you find a music-related job after Berklee? How essential is it to make connections here?Making connections is the most important aspect of building a career-more important than your major, essays, or GPA. The relationships you form at Berklee are invaluable and will be crucial to your success. After graduation, job prospects often dip, but your network will start to resurface and create opportunities. Getting a job right after Berklee can be tough, especially in a saturated industry. You may have to start from the bottom, so its important to create consistently and reach out to others.

I thought graduating with a double major would be the key to success, but it was the relationships I built that truly opened doors. . . . It's not what you know, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.

It's not what you know, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.

- Carlos Perez de Anda BM '14

What was it like moving to LA right after Berklee? What advice would you give to people considering that for their path?First, choose a city you genuinely like; if New York differs from your vibe, you won't enjoy it. I recommend visiting the city youre considering to get a feel for it, for example, and understand the transportation options. I had family in LA, which helped, but coming from Boston, where you dont need a car, I quickly realized LA requires one. Dont rush; you have more time than you think.

How was your first experience dealing with major labels or contracts? What do you think is a common mistake people make when dealing with the business side of things for the first time?First, sort out your finances; if you work for a label, youll have a W2, making tax filing straightforward. For freelancers, create your own company to manage billing and taxes effectively. My early experiences with major labels were frustrating because they often delayed payments. Now, I get ahead by asking for a PO [purchase order] number and required forms before sending invoices to ensure I will be paid on time. Be persistent and assertive; pursue what youre owed, especially when it comes to major labels and artists, so you are credited the way you're supposed to. Always confirm details in writing, ideally through email, and consider signed contracts for extra protection.

What do you look for in people who apply to be a part of your team?Im picky when selecting team members. First, I prioritize a positive attitude; I want people who learn from their mistakes and contribute positively to the rooms energy. Second, I look for those willing to do whatever it takes and help without constant prompting. Common sense is so important, as is being attentive to detail and knowing when to talk and when to listen. Id prefer someone with the right attitude over someone technically proficient but who needs to improve in the areas that say who you are.

Do you have any other advice for current students?Its good to recognize and enjoy the different phases for what they are. We often live our current phase while thinking about the next one, which prevents us from enjoying the present. Start developing habits like eating healthily and exercising, as your body will remind you that you needed to have done that earlier. One of the biggest things to remember is that theres always a deal to be had, and its never a good idea to work for free. Instead, find ways to negotiate value, as even internships offer valuable experiences.

Andrea Recalde is a songwriting and musi
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/grammy-nominated-alum-shares-...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

16/01/2026

NAB Spokesman Alex Siciliano to Depart

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

16/01/2026

Marshall Electronics Showcases the VMV 402 3GSH Seamless...

Marshall Electronics is showcasing its VMV-402-3GSH Seamless 4X Switch at ISE 2026 (Booth 4N900). Designed for presentation systems, control rooms and remote pr...

16/01/2026

HPA Announces Innovation & Technology Award Nominees

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

16/01/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna

Graduate Spotlight: Nadia Castagna The educator, who grew up in Rochester, New York, shares how she went from Berklee to collaborating on meaningful programs ...

16/01/2026

Culinary Class Wars' Returns for Season 3, Raising the Stakes With a Team-Based Showdown

Back to All News Culinary Class Wars' Returns for Season 3, Raising the St...

15/01/2026

Milano Cortina 2026: OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos Previews Production Innovations

Milano Cortina 2026: OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos Previews Production InnovationsFirst Person View drones, AI-based tech target greater fan engagement, efficiencyBy...

15/01/2026

Clever With Cameras: Bringing the Drama of the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating Championships to Viewers with Sunset+Vine

Clever with cameras: Bringing the drama of the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating ...

15/01/2026

No Stranger to Ice: Host Broadcaster Sunset+Vine on Pressure and Planning for the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating Championships

No stranger to ice: Host broadcaster Sunset Vine on pressure and planning for th...

15/01/2026

SVG Campus Shot Callers: Leah Gill, Associate Athletic Director, Digital Media, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

SVG Campus Shot Callers: Leah Gill, Associate Athletic Director, Digital Media, ...

15/01/2026

National Sports Broadcaster Perspectives: What to Expect in Production in 2026

National Sports Broadcaster Perspectives: What to Expect in Production in 2026Leaders from ESPN, FOX Sports, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery share their pro...

15/01/2026

From Berlin to London: Amazon Delivers NBA Europe Games for an International Audience

From Berlin to London: Amazon delivers NBA Europe games for an international aud...

15/01/2026

Sundance Institute Appoints David Linde as CEO

LOS ANGELES, CA, January 15, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced the appointment of David Linde as Chief Executive Officer. Linde will assum...

15/01/2026

Excellent training at SGL Carbons Bonn site

The SGL Carbon site in Bonn has a long tradition of training. For many years, young talent has been successfully trained here, regularly achieving excellent exa...

15/01/2026

SGL Carbon and BMW Group receive JEC Innovation Award for Natural Fiber Composites Project

The JEC Composites Innovation Awards annually honor the most innovative and ambi...

15/01/2026

SGL Carbon signs long-term supply agreement with X-energy

X-energy Reactor Company, LLC ( X-energy ) and SGL Carbon LLC ( SGL ) have signed a 10-year framework agreement to provide graphite for the deployment of X-ener...

15/01/2026

Versant Completes Acquisition Of Free TV Networks

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

House Oversight Hearing on FCC Puts Chair in Spotlight

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Radiant Media Player, Cloud DRM Partner on Integration

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Telycam to Showcase New Mix One Video Switcher at ISE 2026

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

Pliant Names Adam Grede as Regional Sales Manager

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

NFL Wild Card Games Score With Viewers

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

15/01/2026

RT Chief Financial Officer, Mari Hurley to leave RT

RT is tonight announcing that Mari Hurley has decided to leave her role as RT 's Chief Financial Officer to take up a new position outside RT . Mari will r...

15/01/2026

VEON's Kyivstar Reaches 3.0 million Customers with Starlink Direct to Cell Services

15 Jan 2026 VEON's Kyivstar Reaches 3.0 million Customers with Starlink Dir...

15/01/2026

UKTV Enjoys Best Year Yet: VOD Viewing and Linear Share Hit Record Levels

Views to free streaming service U grew by 15%, average monthly active users by 23% and registrations by 18% UKTV's channels achieved record viewing share, ...

15/01/2026

Sky Sports to show Final Stage of inaugural FIFA Womens Champions Cup

Thursday 15 January 2026 Sky Sports to show Final Stage of inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup Sky and FIFA have agreed an exclusive new partnership whi...

15/01/2026

The official trailer for the second season of Seth MacFarlanes live-action comedy, Ted, has landed ahead of its launch on 6 March

Thursday 15 January 2026 The official trailer for the second season of Seth Mac...

15/01/2026

Riedel RefCam Takes Center Court in German Basketball Research Initiative With DBB and DSHS

Wuppertal January 15, 2026 Riedel RefCam Takes Center Court in German Basketba...

15/01/2026

Nah Yung-suk Presents Take a Hike!' - A Snowy Reality Adventure Coming to Netflix

Back to All News Nah Yung-suk Presents Take a Hike!' - A Snowy Reality Adv...

15/01/2026

'Firebreak' Premieres on Netflix February 20

Back to All News Firebreak Premieres on Netflix February 20 Entertainment 15 January 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard DOWNLOAD THE FIRST LOOK IMA...

15/01/2026

The Variety, Voices, and Vision Shaping What's Next on Netflix Indonesia in 2026

Back to All News The Variety, Voices, and Vision Shaping What's Next on Net...

15/01/2026

Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment Enter New Pay-1 Deal With First-of-Its-Kind Global Reach

Back to All News Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment Enter New Pay-1 Deal W...

15/01/2026

Hollywood Professional Association Unveils 2026 HPA Awards Innovation & Technology Nominees

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced the nominees for th...

15/01/2026

FOR-A Europe to Demonstrate Broadcast and Pro-AV Convergence at ISE 2026

Award-winning production solutions bridge traditional and next-generation workflows FOR-A MixBoard FOR-A IMPULSE viztrick AiDi MFR-3100EX...

15/01/2026

Arvato Systems Named Launch Partner for AWS European Sovereign Cloud

Arvato Systems Named Launch Partner for AWS European Sovereign Cloud As a launch partner for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, Arvato Systems enables customer...

15/01/2026

Survive the Quarantine Zone and More With Devolver Digital Games on GeForce NOW

NVIDIA kicked off the year at CES, where the crowd buzzed about the latest gaming announcements - including the native GeForce NOW app for Linux and Amazon Fire...

14/01/2026

ITV selects Yospace for Advanced Ad Measurement and Monetisation on Freely

Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 13th January, 2026 ITV, one of the UKs leading broadcasters, has selected Yospace, the global leader in Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), to ...

14/01/2026

Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 2 - New Options for Virtual Mixing

Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 2 - New Options for Virtual MixingA variety of solutions offer both technical and economic benefitsBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor ...

14/01/2026

Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 1 - Key Component Evolves Toward the Totally Virtual

Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 1 - Key Component Evolves Toward the Totally Vi...

14/01/2026

SVG Summit 2025: Audio from Monday Workshops Now Available

SVG Summit 2025: Audio from Monday Workshops Now AvailableListen to sessions from Live Production Innovation, AI Production Tools, Cloud Production, Content Wor...

14/01/2026

US Navy and Marines Select L3Harris T7 Robots to Enhance Ordnance Disposal Capabilities

The L3Harris large T7 robotic systems will provide U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines wi...

14/01/2026

Steiger Media reimagines broadcast workflows with Calrec

Steiger Media's adoption of Calrec's compact Argo M console not only makes its innovative new hybrid truck faster, more efficient, and agile, but also e...

14/01/2026

NBC Sports to Deploy viztrick AiDi for Live Sports Production

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

14/01/2026

Sinclair Accepting Applications for 2026 Scholarship Program

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

14/01/2026

Neal Shapiro to Retire as President and CEO of The WNET Group

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

14/01/2026

Press Release: The Boston Globe Names Cartesian a Top Place to Work in 2025

Press Release: The Boston Globe Names Cartesian a Top Place to Work in 2025 January 14, 2026 News Cartesian - January 14, 2026 - EINPresswire.com - Sp...

14/01/2026

Comscore and Marcus Theatres Announce Five-Year Extension for Cinema ACE and Enterprise Web Solutions

Comscore and Marcus Theatres Announce Five-Year Extension for Cinema ACE and Ent...